Air disinfection apparatus for use in air conditioning systems

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an air disinfection apparatus for use with an air conditioning system configured to create an airflow. The air disinfection apparatus comprises a hollow housing for conveying said airflow therethrough between an air inlet and an opposite air outlet determining an airflow direction; a screen forming a non-ionizing electrode extending along a screen longitudinal extension axis, said non-ionizing electrode being mounted in the housing between the air inlet and the air outlet so that a screen surface is tangential to the airflow direction; a wire forming an ionizing electrode, said wire being suspended in said hollow housing between the air inlet and the air outlet and having a wire axis aligned with the screen longitudinal extension axis so as to face said screen surface; terminals electrically connected to the wire and screen for coupling thereto high and low voltage outputs of a high voltage generator of sufficient voltage to create a corona discharge zone across the airflow between the wire and the screen; wherein the screen includes an ion receiver positioned downstream of the corona discharge zone relative to the airflow direction, said ion receiver being dimensioned to cause ions produced in the corona discharge zone to be attracted so as to prevent release of ions outside of the air disinfection apparatus.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air disinfection apparatus based on hydrogen peroxide for use with an air conditioning system configured to create an airflow, the air disinfection apparatus comprising:
 a hollow housing for conveying said airflow therethrough between an air inlet and an opposite air outlet in an airflow direction;   a screen forming a non-ionizing electrode extending along a screen longitudinal extension axis, said non-ionizing electrode being mounted in the hollow housing between the air inlet and the opposite air outlet so that a screen surface is parallel to the airflow direction;   a wire forming an ionizing electrode, said wire being suspended in said hollow housing between the air inlet and the opposite air outlet and having a wire axis aligned with the screen longitudinal extension axis so as to face said screen surface;   terminals electrically connected to the wire and the screen for coupling thereto high and low voltage outputs of a high voltage generator of sufficient voltage to create a corona discharge zone across the airflow between the wire and the screen;   
       wherein the screen includes an ion receiver screen portion positioned downstream of the corona discharge zone relative to the airflow direction, said ion receiver screen portion causing ions produced in the corona discharge zone to be attracted thereon, the ion receiver screen portion extending parallel to the airflow direction so as to prevent release of ions outside of the air disinfection apparatus. 
     
     
         2 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the screen further comprises an upstream screen portion positioned upstream of the corona discharge zone relative to the airflow direction. 
     
     
         3 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 2 , being further configured so that the air inlet and the opposite air outlet can be used reversibly with respect to the airflow direction from the air conditioning system. 
     
     
         4 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more focusing electrodes accommodated in the corona discharge zone or in the air inlet and/or in the opposite air outlet and free of electrical connection to a voltage source, or grounded or connected to low voltage potential. 
     
     
         5 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more focusing electrodes are made of an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
         6 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more focusing electrodes are configured for preventing release of ions and corona current discharge on a surface outside of the air disinfection apparatus due to electrical influences external to the air disinfection apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a UV or visible light source, configured for decomposing ozone generated by the corona discharge in the corona discharge zone. 
     
     
         8 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the screen forms a barrel surrounding the wire. 
     
     
         9 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the screen longitudinal extension axis is aligned with the airflow direction. 
     
     
         10 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) hollow insulating holders for suspending the wire and accommodating wire ends therethrough, and   (b) interruption barriers at connection portions between said wire and the hollow insulating holders.   
     
     
         11 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the screen forms a sheet. 
     
     
         12 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the screen comprises two parallel sheets, the wire being mounted between said two parallel sheets. 
     
     
         13 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a cleaning mechanism, said cleaning mechanism being configured to wipe the ionizing electrode. 
     
     
         14 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the cleaning mechanism is further configured to wipe the non-ionizing electrode. 
     
     
         15 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 13  further comprising one or more focusing electrodes accommodated in the corona discharge zone or in the air inlet and/or the opposite air outlet of the air disinfection apparatus and free of electrical connection to a voltage source, or grounded or connected to low voltage potential, wherein the cleaning mechanism is further configured to wipe the one or more focusing electrodes. 
     
     
         16 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the cleaning mechanism includes a wiper configured to be displaced within the housing to cause concurrent wiping of any of the ionizing electrode, the non-ionizing electrode, and the one or more focusing electrodes. 
     
     
         17 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the cleaning mechanism further comprises one or more shafts extending parallel to the screen longitudinal extension axis, the wiper being coupled thereto so as to be axially guided within the hollow housing. 
     
     
         18 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein (a) said one or more shafts is configured to be axially rotatable and comprises a screw threading on an external surface thereof, and (b) the wiper includes a nut cooperating with said screw threading, such that rotation of the one or more shafts causes displacement of the wiper along the shaft. 
     
     
         19 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 17 , further comprising one or more focusing electrodes accommodated in the corona discharge zone or in the air inlet and/or the opposite air outlet of the air disinfection apparatus and free of electrical connection to a voltage source, or grounded or connected to low voltage potential, wherein the one or more shafts forms a focusing electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said cleaning mechanism is configured to be driven by a motor. 
     
     
         21 . A method for generating hydrogen peroxide, the method comprising:
 providing the air disinfection apparatus according to  claim 1 ;   creating a corona discharge zone between said ionizing electrode and said non-ionizing electrode;   passing an airflow containing water molecules through said corona discharge zone, to thereby cause conversion of some of the water molecules into hydrogen peroxide.